Kim Daugherty, d + b real estate McKinney, TX REALTOR Broker/Owner

I would be remiss if I did not announce my recent engagement to Texas Rangers starting pitcher, CJ Wilson, to my ActiveRain "family".

We have been "engaged" for a few months now...

And by "engaged" I mean....

- watching every one of his pitching starts, including being there in person for two of them

- watching every OTHER game so that I could see him cheer on his teammates while in the dugout...all the while hoping they might have to go through the entire bullpen and get back to CJ so that Washington can give him a head nod prompting him to walk on the field with his SuperMan cape (insert slow motion footage and wind machine) and save the day for the Rangers!

-Friending him on Facebook.

-following him on Twitter

-reading about him on Wikipedia, MLB.com, TexasRangers.com, and any other Rangers dedicated website including his own website www.leftylefty.com

-changing my Facebook profile picture to HIS picture before they even went to the ALDS with a vow that I would not change it back until they had won the World Series.

-purchasing and "girl-ifying" my very own CJ Wilson #36 shirt

-blowing through money wisely investing in memories of me and my family/friends/loved ones so that we could go to the ALDS, ALCS (games 2 and 6) and World Series game 5.

So there, my ActiveRain family.

Say hello to your newest In-Law!!!!

As for me...tonight...I will be watching, ever so intently, from my home (can't be AT the game - I'd be TOO big a distraction) - as he pitches the Texas Rangers to their first of four wins on the road to win the World Series!!

And a final FYI - to all of you who think that my definition of "engagement" sounds an awful lot like "stalking", I have one thing to say to you: NUH UH!!!!!!! It's love. And it's real. ;-)

Signed,

The soon-to-be Mrs. Wilson

P.S. We'll write from Disney World after the World Series to let you know how the honeymoon is going!

Wahoo! Fall weather has FINALLY made it's way to North Texas! If you are reading this blog and you happen to be researching the area because you are considering moving to McKinney or the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, then take a mental note that today, October 19, is approximately when you can start sporting your cute fall boots, jeans and other incredibly cute and comfy fall clothes.

But...our lovely fall weather is NOT the topic of this post.

What is? CHILI!!!

Yes, chili. The 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off, benefiting Collin County's only homeless shelter The Samaritan Inn, has been planned for Saturday, November 12, 2011. Festivities will begin at 11:30 and run through 1:30.

We're inviting everyone to have fun while tasting and judging all different flavors & styles of chili, participating in family games and networking with the businesses, friends and family that the agents at d + b consider our “team”.

How do you sign up? Easy! Just go to our website, www.RealFamilyRealEstate.com to find our registration form and rules. The entry fee is only $25..and $40 for those businesses wanting to also promote their business at the event.

Don’t feel like cooking? It’s OK to be lazy. Be our guest and sample ALL of the chili for FREE! One canned good gets you into all the food and festivities. We’re counting on YOU to be our judges. We will be accepting cash donations if you would like to purchase a bowl of chili and other delectable bites!

ALL proceeds will go towards The Samaritan Inn in an effort to bring awareness of National Homeless Awareness Month. We appreciate your support!

More info on our Facebook Page:

2nd Annual Chili Cook Off!

There are a lot of cool perks to being a REALTOR. For me, I like being a "go to" person when someone needs a recommendation for a quality service provider or vendor. As it would turn out, being in real estate means I get my fair share of interaction with home inspectors, lenders, appraisers, surveyors, title companies, plumbers, electricians, structural engineers, flooring companies, home stagers, and on and on and on...

TODAY I'd like to highlight a vendor that comes in handy when you want to update your home with something that makes a bold, classy and timeless statement:

DFW Stairs!

DFW Stairs specializes in installing custom wrought iron spindles, hard wood stair steps, rails and posts. They also make custom baby gates for your stairs and pet gates!! NO MORE PLASTIC UGLY BABY GATES!!

And get this...they also install hardwood floors and hand-scraped hardwoods on site!!

Fernando Montoya is the owner of DFW Stairs, and he is one of the most friendly, honest business owners that I have had the pleasure of meeting.

Whether you are updating your North Dallas area home to sell, or to make your house your home, you should give Fernando a call for a free quote and consultation. Tell him that Kim Daugherty sent you! ;)

Visit their Facebook page for lots of great Before and After pictures!

Are you in the doghouse when it comes to buying a home?

This past Monday morning McKinney, TX saw rain for the first time since May. MAY!!!! It just so happened to start 5 minutes after I told my 4th grader that NO it wasn't going to rain...it's just thundering...enjoy the cooler temperatures while you ride your bike to school. **Smiling, patting him on the back**

Yep...just 5 minutes after he left the house I hear a DOWNPOUR. OK, maybe not a Hurricane Irene-level downpour, but given our drought I definitely qualified our rain as a downpour.

The rain lasted for 10 minutes (my guilt for sending my son to school in the rain lasted most of today) and then my 10 month old, 90 pound, WHITE puppy, Ranger, whined that he needed to go out. So let him out I did. And after a few minutes, I go to let him in when THIS is what I see staring at me:



<---That dog's in the dog house! No way he was going to be let into the house in that condition!! Sure, he's cute. And no, he didn't know he was doing something wrong. But in the end it doesn't matter. He's 90 pounds of dirty, muddy hair covered puppy adrenaline that won't be coming in until he's CLEANED UP!!

With the tightening down of the lending industry year over year, it's becoming harder for buyers to qualify for a mortgage. Many would-be borrowers are finding themselves in the DOG HOUSE for things that they could have controlled in the first place! So many consumers are under the assumption that having a job, with few debts and good credit (or so they think) is all it takes to be safe when applying for a new mortgage.

However, if you do any of the following YOU might find yourself stuck outside in the rain...covered in your own proverbial "mud"...unable to open the door to your dream home!

My top FOUR things that can and will impact your ability to qualify for a new mortgage. (and YES all 4 of these have happened to my own clients)

1. Take on additional debt AFTER being pre-approved for a loan. Like buying appliances, cars, or other LARGE purchases. Don't. Do. It. WAIT until after you are IN YOUR NEW HOME!!!

2. Borrow from your 401K to pay down your credit cards. Sounds good and logical, right? You're reducing your overall debt which will help your ratios, right? WRONG!!

3. Co-sign for a friend or relative. Just plain stupid. NO matter how great or trustworthy of a friend you have, and how many times they PROMISE they won't end up screwing you over...THINGS HAPPEN!!! Just don't do it. When they fail to pay on their loan do you really think they're going to be in a position to help YOU get a new MORTGAGE?? The answer is no.

4. Switch jobs or change the way you are paid (from salaried to commission based, for example). This changes your income history and lenders need to see two years of stable job income history in order to get the warm fuzzies about lending you a couple hundred grand.

Now I could write many many more ways that you can hurt yourself, but these big four are the most common (in my opinion).

Bottom line: Get pre-approved with a trustworthy lender. After doing this you pretty much need to check with them any time you consider spending more than $10.00. OK, that's a little extreme - but if there's a decision to be made when it comes to money RUN IT BY THE LENDER FIRST!!!!! If you don't, you'll be joining Ranger outside in the rain...covered in mud with NO WAY to go inside your home with out getting "cleaned up" first!!

misdGO - McKinney ISD -

Are you a parent of a McKinney ISD Student? If so, have you ever done the following?

• woken up at 5:30 am to log on to your computer to find out if the snow that has fallen overnight will delay or cancel school?
• fumbled through a giant stack of papers looking for a school lunch menu to see if you should pack a lunch or risk having your child go hungry if they don't like what's being served that day?
• tried to find the football schedule to see who is playing at Home on Friday night?

If so, and if you're like me who can't go ANYWHERE without my Droid smartphone, then YOU. ARE. IN. LUCK!!!!

Introducing..... misdGo! From the MISD website: "misdGo offers students, parents, and anyone interested in the McKinney Independent School District access to a comprehensive suite of apps developed to provide timely and helpful school and district information. The app provides tools like lunch menus and maps to schools. It also provides access to critical student information including password protected parent access to student attendance, grades, progress reports, and assignments. You can even watch highlights from football games, theater and musical performances, and high school graduations!